Photos: Underoath at the Uptown with Periphery, Loathe

March 17, 2023

Chris Ortiz, Steph Castor,

Underoath. // photo by Chris Ortiz

Underoath
with Periphery and Loathe
Uptown Theater
Wednesday, March 15

Metalcore act Underoath brought their Blind Obedience Tour to the Uptown on Wednesday with openers Periphery and Loathe.

Loathe kicked off the night with their no-frills nu-metal from Liverpool. It was a straightforward, high-octane set with tastefully harsh vocals and ambitious harmonies. Lead vocalist Kadeem France—or perhaps another Donald Glover alter-ego—reeled the audience in with his 1970s “daddy” aesthetic and charismatic dancing across the stage. Overall, the set was satisfactory, reliable—but not memorable.

Periphery fans made up approximately 50% of the audience. The five-piece progressive metal group appeared to be comprised of Vikings and theater nerds. Spencer Sotelo delivered classically-inspired vocals while guitarists Misha “Bulb” Mansoor, Jake Bowen, Mark Holcomb, and drummer Matt Halpern zeroed in on intricate time signatures and iconic djent breakdowns.

At 9 p.m., Underoath took the stage, members sprinting to their positions while fog billowed from behind their signature LED light displays. The theater was filled with murky shades of pink, blue, purple, and stark white. Drummer Aaron Gillespie hammered the intro of “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door”—an instant crowd-pleaser and chance for participation points from OG Underoath fans.

The band played the full spectrum of their discography, fully committing to every song with backbreaking body twists and a shit ton of cardio. It was during their sixth song, “In Regards to Myself,” that it became apparent there were only five members on stage. Guitarist Timothy McTague held down the fort—and did it effortlessly—amid rhythm guitarist James Smith’s absence.

Underoath delivered banger after banger, but when vocalist Spencer Chamberlain politely asked if they could play a new song, the response wasn’t what they’d hoped. After a few awkward seconds and some quiet enthusiasm, the band broke into their most recent single, “Let Go.” The pit swirled, and fans lent a sturdy applause that transitioned into the epic “Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear,” offering the guys some time to catch their breath.

After two decades of touring with their current lineup, Underoath has proven its resilience and adaptability as a group of artists. But these guys are getting tired. Fifteen songs, no encore. Chamberlain made an agreement with the audience that they would play one more song and expressed that they don’t take the support on a Wednesday night lightly.

They closed with “Writing on the Walls,” a 2007 Grammy Award nominee for Best Short Form Music Video from their fifth album, Define the Great Line. Water was shared. Packs of unused drumsticks, guitar picks, and setlists were distributed throughout a sea of aging screamo fans. And the house music came on.

Underoath

Periphery

Loathe

The crowd

Underoath setlist:

It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door
Breathing in a New Mentality
Damn Excuses
Down, Set, Go
On My Teeth
In Regards to Myself
Let Go
Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear
Reinventing Your Exit
Hallelujah
Illuminator
Rapture
Pneumonia
A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White
Writing on the Walls